Sailor Sirius 4: The First Battle
by Sirius11
Summary: This is after The Rescue. Tanya thinks back to before she met the other Sailor Senshi, and when she first because a senshi in Libya. She's worried that she might not be as good as the others. Can her guardian Marco cheer her up? Only time will tell.
1. Chapter 1

First Battle

Prologue

The music from the Tsukino residence blasted into the early evening air as the people inside celebrated the return of the children that were missing, but were now returned to them as though from a miracle. Usagi Tsukino's parents had decided to throw a party to celebrate the return of Shingo Tsukino and invited the parents of the other children who were also kidnapped by Sailor Galaxia. The Golden Senshi was using them to find suitable Star seeds to try and conquer the whole galaxy. Luckily, Sailor Sirius and the rest of the Sol senshi, along with the help of the Sailor Starlights, were able to stop Sailor Galaxia with their teamwork and combined strength to save Shingo and the other missing children.

The front door of the Tsukino residence opened, and the music from Zhane's song "Hey Mr.DJ" grew louder as Tanya Cambridge walked out of house and sat down sadly on the front steps. Turning her dark brown face upwards, she watched the stars twinkle in the black sky and stared at the full moon as it bathed her in it's bright glow. She recalled in her mind of how the Sailor Team got back from the dreary dimension. Sailor Pluto had found where the senshi were trapped, and recruited the Sailor Star Lights to help the girls. When they defeated Sailor Galaxia, Sailor Pluto appeared, and with her Garnet Orb she quickly teleported the Sailor Team back home, along with the missing children. Tanya was glad they were able to fight and win the battle, but there were still some troubling thoughts going through her mind.

Tanya sighed. "I STILL think that Sailor Star Healer could be Yaten. But how can I know for sure if I don't ask him?" she muttered to herself.

A moment later, Usagi appeared at the front door and saw Tanya sitting on the steps. "Hey Tanya! What are you doing out here? The party's just about to end, and we need help cleaning up!" she said, her voice whiny as she thought about the huge amount of work that was waiting for her inside.

When she saw Tanya's face, she quietly walked out and sat down on the steps beside her. "Are you okay?" she asked softly.

"Hmm? Yeah, sure!" Tanya said, looking up at Usagi in surprise. "I was just thinking...you know, about the fight and all, and what we've been through with Galaxia." She tried to smile reassuringly, but worry still shone in her eyes as Tanya looked back up at the moon.

Usagi nodded and looked up with Tanya at the shining object in the starry night. "Yeah, it was a pretty close call. We were lucky to have you with us. You did great in your first battle with the Sailor Senshi!" The former Moon Princess laid a friendly hand on Tanya's shoulder, reassuring her that she did well.

"Thanks," Tanya smiled shyly. She looked intently at the moon for a few more moments, then looked back sadly at the blonde girl next to her. "You know, it's too bad people today don't know what a beautiful place the Moon Kingdom was. To all of them, it is just a speck of gray matter." she said softly.

"Yeah," said Usagi dreamily, thinking backing to centuries ago. "There's so much I still wish I could know and remember from then," Both girls continued to look up at the moon, lost in their own memories and thoughts of the past and their lives on the now desolate satellite of the Earth so long ago.

Usagi shook herself mentally out of the dream sequence and looked hard at Tanya. "Hey, wait a minute! What's the matter? From since I've known you, you've never been so dramatic and serious," Her blue eyes stared with understanding into Tanya's own brown-hazel ones. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"It's nothing, really!" said Tanya, waving her hands in front of her defensively. She lowered her eyes a little sadly. "I..I've just been thinking. What if I had done something wrong in that fight? What would I change if I had the chance?"

"What are you worrying about _that_ for? We did fine against Galaxia!" Usagi said, giving Tanya a questioning look. "None of the other senshi had any doubts."

"I know," said Tanya. She looked at Usagi. "Have you ever wondered about YOUR first battle? What it felt like? What you would have changed? What you can learn from that, and how to use it in future battles?"

"Well, no." said Usagi, a little embarrassed, "Luna says that with my first battle, I was a wimp and I definitely needed work on!" She laughed softly at the memories of her first battles and Luna's reaction to them.

Tanya chuckled. "Yeah, it was kind of like that with me too. You know, I'm going to talk this over with Marco. I want him to tell me how I was in my first battle, and maybe I can find a few things I can work on."

"Sounds like a good plan to me. Meanwhile, I STILL need help with cleaning up!" smiled Usagi, standing up over Tanya with her hands on her hips.

"Yeah right, I'm coming!" said Tanya, following Usagi in the house and smiling in appreciation.

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Later at Tanya's home.

Tanya sighed softly as she slid into her large bed and laid down, her soft white nightgown hugging her curvy body comfortably. For a moment, she stared up at the ceiling, remembering her conversation with Usagi. Maybe she was right. Maybe there was nothing to worry about. But somehow, she still couldn't the thought of something going wrong out of her head. The dark-skinned girl propped herself up on her elbow,and looked down at her guardian laying down at the right side of the bed on the floor. "Marco, I really need to talk to you. Do you mind?" said Tanya. Marco looked up from the floor and gave her a questioning look.

"What about?" he said as he looked at the clock, "It's really late and you should get some rest."

"Well, it's about when we were home in Libya, when I first met you, and when I first fought a demon on my own." said Tanya, sitting up in bed. "I want to know about how I was, how I fought and everything. This fight with Galaxia really shook me up, and I was wondering that maybe there's something that I can find that I missed before, that I can work on. You know...that will help me in my battles in the future."

"I see," said Marco. The golden furred mentor jumped up on the bed next to her and got comfortable as he lay down beside her. "Well, I wanted to talk to you about that too. Maybe now is a good time. Alright, let's start at the beginning, shall we?"

Tanya smiled gratefully, then got herself comfortable and listened and Marco began the story of how they met:

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First Battle.

Chapter one

In a small village nearby Tripoli, Libya, in Northern Africa, a young girl named Tanya Cambridge is happily celebrating her fifteenth birthday given to her by her father and friends. On this festive occasion, Tanya received gifts, songs, dancing, and quality time spent with her often absent father, Rev. Peter Cambridge. Little does she know, this night was to be the beginning of her greatest destiny:

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October 21

"Thank you SO much Ronnie for all these great gifts and the party!" exclaimed Tanya as she hugged her best friend and godsister Veronica.

"Hey, It's no problem! You deserve the very best." said the light skinned girl from Nigeria. She hugged Tanya back and kissed her on the cheek. "It is just a way of thanking you for being my closest friend and sister in spirit."

Tanya blushed and playfully punched Veronica on her shoulder. "AWWW, You don't HAVE to be mushy like that! Just a simple "you're welcome" would have done it!" she snickered softly.

The rest of the party guests in the large two story rented house snickered behind there hand, knowing that was the typical "Tanya" comment. The party was just about to end, as it was late and people had places to go in the morning. Tanya went up to the guests and thanked them for their gifts and for coming to the party. Tanya's father, who was outside talking to leaving guests, came back inside and quietly walked up to her, "Okay sweetheart. It's time to leave. We gotta get going."

"Sure Dad, I'll be right there." said Tanya, "I just want to talk to Veronica for a moment." She grabbed Veronica by the arm and pulled her to the into the kitchen away from prying ears.

Once inside the kitchen, Veronica gave her a concerned look. "What's wrong Tanya? You look a little worried."

"I am. That's why I waited until the end of the party to talk to you. I had one of those strange dreams again last night." Tanya replied, holding the girl's hand.

"Oh no, not that dream about that strange blue skinned lady with the red hair and you dying! I thought you were over that. What brought it on this time?" said the older girl, pulling Tanya close and laying the shorter girl's head on her shoulder. For nearly as long as she could remember, Tanya woke up screaming sometimes, drenched in sweat and stammering about some strange woman with blue skin laughing at her. It had been years since she had that dream, but suddenly, the dreams came back, and it scared her very much.

"I don't know. But this time it was ...different, somehow. Now I see a dog of some sort, and the strange thing was, he was trying to talk to me somehow, but I couldn't hear what he was saying. I think it was a warning. What am I going to do?" said Tanya in a shaky voice. She looked up in the girl's face, "Do you think I should talk to my dad about this?"

"Of course! Maybe he can help you. Even though I'm into interpreting dreams and such, I'm afraid even this has boggled me." Veronica sighed sadly. "But just in case, I'll try to speak to the spirits tonight about this when I communicate with them through the fires."

A jeep's horn was suddenly beeping outside before she could say more, and Tanya gave her godsister one last hug, "Thanks for everything! I knew I can talk to you about this. I'll call you later if I can sneak past Dad, okay?" She smiled to let her god sister know how much she appreciated her and the incredible advice she gave.

"Sure thing," Veronica laughed, "Now get going before your dad has a fit!"

"Yeah right!" giggled Tanya. She reached up on tiptoes, gave her godsister a quick peck on the cheek in appreciation for listening to her, then ran off to meet her father outside, waving good-bye to everyone she passed by.

On the way home in the jeep, Tanya was unusually quiet as she took in the night's events, and she contemplated on how she was going to tell her father about her strange dreams. Before, they only happened rarely. Now, it seemed like it happened every night, and that scared her like nothing else. Tanya folded her hands on her lap, her fingers intertwined as she's done many times in prayer, and squeezed hard, trying to fight back the tears that threatened to spill over.

Peter looked over at his daughter, and seeing how her mood had change, decided to try and get her to talk about her feelings. "Did you like the party tonight honey?" he asked as he drove.

"Hmmm? Sure Dad! It was great! The best night of my life!" replied Tanya, smiling up at her father.

Somehow, Peter knew that the smile did not quite reach her eyes. "You know Tanya, if there is anything you want to talk about, I'm always here for you." The older man nodded his head to reassure her. "Are you...were you...thinking about your mother?" he asked in a concerned voice.

"Part of it." she muttered to herself. She looked up at her father, "I wish she could have been here with us, to enjoy tonight. I miss her so much!" Sadness slipped into her voice more and more.

"I know, Little Star. So do I. Very much" Peter said, smiling to himself as the memories washed over him.

Tanya always loved when he called her that, but she had no explanation why. For a few moments, Tanya remained silent as she put in the new CD she received for her birthday, and listened to the music of BOYZ II MEN's song called, "A Song for Momma".

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, Tanya saw the jeep lights shine on something on the road as they passed it. To Tanya, it looked like a streak of blond hair, like someone was lying on the side of the road hurt.

"Dad, wait! Stop the car!" shouted Tanya.

Her father slammed on the brakes quickly, causing them to buck forward.

"What is it? What's the matter?" Peter called to his daughter as she opened the door and ran out of the jeep.

"Oh look, it's a hurt dog!" Tanya knelt down to look at the somewhat thin Golden Retriever dog laying down on his side. He looked up with pleading eyes.

"It looks like his side is hurt! Can we please pick him up and try to help him? PLEASE!" pleaded Tanya, while stroking his head.

"Now Tanya, you know we can't just pick up stray animals! We have no idea where he's been, or he could even belong to someone." said her father, walking out of the jeep up to her. "Now come along, I have a very important meeting in the morning"

"But Dad, he's not a stray! Look, he's all clean, and he even has this cute funny little white star on his forehead. He has no collar either, so he must have ran away from the pound or something. Please let me take him. It would be the most wonderful birthday present EVER!" She was now hugging her father and giving him one of those "puppy dog" looks.

Finally, her father blew out an exhausted breath. "Alright, alright! He can stay for the night, and YOU can see if you can bandage him up. But in the morning, I'll see, okay?"

"Okay!" sang out Tanya. They both loaded the sleepy dog into the back of the jeep. On the way home, Tanya tried to comfort the dog by stroking and singing to it. Suddenly she stopped. Somehow, singing and stroking the dog seemed...familiar...somehow, but she didn't know why. Tanya never had a pet in her life. Then she had a thought...What if this dog was like the one she dreamt about last night? Could this be a sign? Tanya shrugged and quickly put the thought out of her mind.

When she got home to Tripoli and to her spacious two story house, Tanya spent the night mending the dog's wound with her father's assistance. She also gave him medicine and fed him nutritious dog food. When she thought she did enough for him, she finally went to bed, her thoughts on the strange dream forgotten.

When morning came and she finished washed and dressed, Tanya bounded joyfully into the den where the dog slept, carrying dog food. "Hiya pooch! And how is my patient this morning?"

"Very well thank you. And please do NOT call me "pooch" " said the dog sleepily, lifting up his head and turning to her.

Tanya could only stare for a second, blinking her eyes, until the incident finally registered in her mind. When it did, she did the only thing she could do in such a situation:

"EEEEEEEEKKKKKK!" Tanya screamed, dropping the bowl of food, "OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD! Y...YOU'RE TALKING! This can't be!"

The dog sighed and fixed mischievous eyes on Tanya. "I think we need to have a LONG talk." said the dog, doing a doggy style of smile.

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Tanya drew in huge breaths, trying to calm herself as she watched the Golden Retriever dog laying in front of her. "This can't be real! It has to be a dream somehow! Dogs do NOT TALK!

"Why don't you take a seat, so I can give you some explanations," said the dog in a friendly way, getting up to sit. The bandage done around his side caused him to wince a little, but he kept a watchful eye on the girl.

Still in a slight shock, Tanya did as the dog asked and quietly sat down in front of the dog, waiting to see what would happen next. _Anyway, I'm sure I'll wake up soon! This MUST be a dream!_ After sitting down, she stared at the dog curiously. _You know,_ she thought again, _this dog DOES look familiar, somehow.._

The dog began his explanation with a simple question. "Your name doesn't happen to be Tonicia Knightstar, would it?" he asked.

Tanya could only stare for a moment longer before she dared herself to answer. "Ahhh, no, it's not. My name is Tanya. Tanya Cambridge." she said in almost a whisper.

"Oh dear, oh dear! I thought you were her! I really did!" said the dog despairingly, hanging his head low.

Tanya could only shake her head. _My God, I am ACTUALLY talking to a dog!_ she thought excitedly, _Veronica's gonna flip when I tell her this dream!_

"Umm, who exactly are you looking for?" she asked quietly when she looked back up at him.

"I am looking for my mistress, the Princess of the Sirius Star System, Tonicia Knightstar. She was supposed to be here, fully restored to life and waiting for me!" the dog said with a little frustration. "But I'm afraid something has gone terribly wrong. I still haven't found her after so long!"

"The Sirius Star System? As in the "Sirius Star" also known as the "Dog Star" by the ancient Romans?" asked Tanya breathlessly. "Sorry, pooch, I'm afraid you're a little far from there, like a couple of light years!" She crossed her arms over her chest and giving him an unbelieving look.

"I see a little introduction is in the works here." The dog growled softly with touch of annoyance, "My name is Marco, and I am the Guardian and Mentor to Princess Tonicia Knightstar, Heir to the Phoenix Throne of the Sirius Star System, also known as Sailor Sirius. And we are NOT known as any "Dog Star!"

"I see," Tanya said, rolling her eyes, "Well, I'm definitely not a princess, and I know I'm not this Sailor whatever person. So now, before I totally freak out, I think I should put this dream to an end!"

Tanya got up from the floor and was about to leave in a hurry when the dog barked and winced in pain again. "Wait, come back!" he called out. "Maybe there's a way I can know for sure."

"Really? How are you going to do that? How do you know if I'm this Princess...whatever?" Tanya asked as she turned back around to face Marco.

"Come closer." the dog said quietly.

When Tanya stood right in front of him, the golden dog said a strange word in a language Tanya has never heard before, even though she spoke a few. All of a sudden, a dark blue glow surrounded the golden dog, and suddenly appearing around his neck was a beautiful necklace. It was silver with a rather large emerald inside surrounded by tiny diamonds.

"Please." Marco said with fierce determination his eyes, "Put the necklace on. I assure you this is NO dream!"

_Oh my gosh! This ISN'T a dream! I've never seen a dog do that!_ Tanya blinked a few times as she felt her heart beat fast. "Ummm, sure, whatever." Tanya said cautiously. Slipping the jewel from around the dog's neck, she put it around her own.

As soon as she did, her body began to glow the same dark blue as Marco's. It enclosed her like wings of an angel, and Tanya closed her eyes as images entered her mind. She saw a girl who looked exactly like her in a beautiful pale blue dress, but her hair was wavier, and she had a bright white star in the middle of her forehead. She was standing in what looked like a garden, but strange somehow. The grass was red, and the sky was a violet color instead of blue, and shining down rays was a gigantic sun with a smaller one next to it.

Walking up next to her was Marco. The girl petted him for a moment, and then both walked into a magnificent castle. The scene changed, and now Tanya saw the girl in some sort of space station, hugging and kissing what seemed to be a king and queen by the way they dressed. The girl entered the ship and the couple watched as the spaceship rose and flew away. The Queen turned to another young man standing with her with tears in her eyes and buried her face in his chest. The handsome man held the woman's hand as she wept sadly.

"Mo...Momma? ..." whispered Tanya, feeling tears run down her cheeks. Even though Tanya had never seen this beautiful woman before, inside her heart she felt she knew this woman somehow, and felt a strong connection to the two men with the woman watching the girl leave. The last thing Tanya saw before all darkened was the people turning around to look at her, calling to her with tears in their eyes. Try as she might, Tanya could not hear or answer them. With a bright white flash, the vision ended as quickly as it began.

"Oh, it IS you! The princess! The Sirius Emerald Star Stone could not be wrong!" exclaimed Marco happily, "Oh thank the Sirius gods!"

Tanya threw back her head and took in a deep breath, overwhelmed by the visions she saw. Wiping the tears of her cheeks, she turned to Marco, "Who...who... were those people? That girl who looked like me? Why did I feel that lady was my mother? And why were they...crying?" Tanya said sadly.

Marco then proceeded to tell Tanya about the Sirius Star System, the Moon Kingdom, and the fate which befell them. He ended the story by telling her that now that he has found her, it is time for them to begin their mission in finding the reborn Moon Princess, Princess Serenity Crestmoon, who was a close friend of Princess Tonicia in the past.

At the end of the story, Tanya blew out an exasperated breath. "But I don't know any girl named Serenity! I don't even know where to begin!" said Tanya in exhaustion. She got up once more from the floor. "I have to call my godsister Veronica. Maybe she can help."

Marco was about to tell her about keeping what he told her as a secret, when suddenly a scream erupted outside. "What in the world is going on?" Tanya exclaimed while running to the front window.

Outside, in the street, a creature that looked like a giant imp was starting to smash up cars driving along down the road. It punched in windows and smashed in hoods. "Star Seeds!" it screamed in a high-pitched voice, "I want ALL your Star Seeds!" It started to grab people and flinging them in the air.

"Ughhh! What the heck is THAT ugly thing!" Tanya shouted, getting really scared. She turned to look at Marco, but he was already in front of her holding the necklace in his mouth. He dropped it in her hand.

"That is a chance for you to begin your destiny, princess! The time has come for you to defend the innocent and defeat evil!" he shouted. "It is time for Sailor Sirius to return!"

Tanya gulped hard, her heart pounding almost painfully against her chest, and looked from the beautiful necklace in her hand to outside, where the creature was still on a rampage. "This is turning out to be one STRANGE birthday!"

To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

First Battle Part II

Outside in the streets, the demon continued his rampage. He smashed cars, and hurdled people several feet from him as he searched for the Star Seeds he came for. Tanya could only stare in horror as he came nearer to her house, and smashed the head of a policeman who tried to stop him into the ground. Her heart began beating so hard and fast it felt like it wanted to break out of her chest.

"Listen to me Tanya!" shouted Marco above the screams as he was looking into her eyes. "I know that you are scared right now, but what I have shown you is _not_ a dream! You _must_ become Sailor Sirius, and defend innocent people from evil such as that!" He pointed with his head at the demon advancing up the street.

"But HOW? If I go out there, that thing will eat me for breakfast! Just what exactly am I supposed to do against...that?" Tanya said back, fear causing her voice to tremble like it never had before. This was one birthday Tanya never dreamed of getting, and it chilled her to the very bone in the very warm day. "There is no way I can defeat him!" She clutched the necklace she had in her hand with a shaky fist and looked at Marco with a sad face.

"Yes you can! That necklace in your hand is the Sirius Emerald Star Stone that protected the Sirius Star System for thousands of years! If you believe in it now, it will help you win the battle you must fight. After all this time, destiny has brought you together. Now, do you believe in yourself, and that you WILL defeat this monster?" Marco now had his paw on her foot and fixed Tanya with a hard stare to show that he meant every word he said.

Tanya looked at Marco again, then back at the necklace in her hand. You know, for some reason, I believe I _CAN_ do this! she thought to herself. Tanya narrowed her dark hazel eyes and straightened up with new determination and courage. "YES, I do believe in myself, and I will defeat this...whatever it is! What do I have to do?" she yelled, now feeling outrage that her birthday, as well as the livelihood of the people in her neighborhood, had been ruined.

"Quickly!" said Marco, relief evident in his voice. He looked around, making sure there was nobody in the house. "Put the necklace on, and shout out..." he never finished as it seemed as though Tanya took over the whole situation.

Somehow, Tanya had an idea what to do. Just as she slipped the jewelry around her neck, a phrase came into her mind. Almost as a reaction from some deep memory, she threw up her right hand, spread her legs apart, and shouted out, "SIRIUS STAR POWER! MAKE-UP!" The whole house was then washed in dark blue light, followed by a burst of little blue stars. A white six pointed star flashed on Tanya's forehead, then it disappeared and in its place was a gold tiara with a black opal. The Sirius Emerald Star Stone flashed, then morphed and transformed into a gold six-pointed star on the large yellow bow on her white shirt.

When the sequence was done, Sailor Sirius stood in front of Marco in a white, black, dark navy blue, and yellow fuku. She looked down on herself with wide, confused eyes, and turned back to look at the golden furred dog. "Wha...what's this! I..I was just standing here...and..these sparkling things flowing all around me! And then I was..spinning around...and...and...!" The new Sirius Senshi stopped blabbering for a moment and looked down on herself once more, surveying her boots and gloves. She gave a wide triumphant grin. "This is...this is...SOOOO COOL!" Sailor Sirius gave a triumphant yell, throwing her fist high in the air. The golden dog sighed and shook his head slightly.

"After all this time, it never ceases to amaze me!" Marco mumbled to himself. "Come on! We don't exactly have time to stay here and admire the fashion!" he said as he dashed out the front door of the house, Sailor Sirius running behind him.

The two heroes ran down the block to were the demon had yet another victim in his hands. The demon was about to thrust his claws through the woman's body to take her Star Seed for his own twisted deeds, when a young voice filled with anger and disgust shouted above the screams to get his attention. "Hey! You ugly...thing!" shouted Sailor Sirius, pointing her finger at him. "You have no right being here! Put her down and back off, or else you're in serious trouble!" She suddenly stopped in her tracks, completely confounded. "Whoa, where did THAT come from?" Sailor Sirius looked at her pointed finger in confusion.

The creature only stared at her for a few moments, then began to laugh hysterically. In his amusement, he did not realize he had let the woman go, and she crawled away with tears in her eyes and whimpering softly. "How poetic is this?" he asked himself in a high raspy voice, "A mere wisp of a girl and a hurt pooch here are going to get ME in trouble?" He suddenly stopped laughing and clasped his hands in front of him. "How's this for trouble, sweetie?"

A massive laser of pure black energy leapt out of his hands and headed directly for the two standing in front of him. Fear nearly paralyzed Sailor Sirius in her place as she stood still, waiting to die by the hands of a monster. Marco growled fiercely and jumped up just then. He butted his head against Sailor Sirius's back, pushing her out of the way just as the energy struck the place where she just occupied. The black energy hit the ground hard, leaving a crater a few feet deep. The noise of the impact sounded like a bomb exploding.

Sailor Sirius landed hard on the ground near the impact and quickly covered Marco with her body to protect him from the pieces of gravel falling all around. When all was quiet again, Sailor Sirius dared a look at Marco. The golden retriever's left back paw was covered in blood, and the fur was nearly burnt off. "Marco, NOOO!" Sailor Sirius yelled angrily. She held his gold head in her hands to see if he was still alive.

Marco's eyes slowly opened and weakly whispered, "Your...scepter. You must use your scepter to defeat him! It's the only way!" He blew out one last breath, then was silent.

Sailor Sirius gently let Marco's head drop from her hands, the realization that she was alone sinking into her mind. This dog did nothing to deserved what had happened to him, and now he was probably dead because of her. She heard the demon chuckling behind her. Slowly she stood up, turned around, and fixed the monster with a cold as ice stare. Slowly, dangerously, she walked up to him. "You! You're going to pay for what you did! You and all others like you are a disease to all that is good and beautiful! Prepare to die ugly. As sure as the star that shines brightest in the Heavens, I am Sailor Sirius, and you WILL be vanquished!" From a memory long hidden, Sailor Sirius threw up her right hand, and magically a black scepter with a rose shape tip and a diamond fixed at the top appeared in her hands. With full purpose, the new dark skinned senshi pointed the scepter straight at the demon.

"HA! What are you going to do, beat me to death with your little toy?" he bellowed. When he smiled, his ugly yellow teeth was razor sharp, and he growled loudly to be intimidating.

"No," Sailor Sirius answered coldly, still pointing at him, "I am going to destroy you. Or are you just too stupid to understand that?"

The creature growled low in his throat at the insult and threw another one of his black energy at her. This time, Sailor Sirius was too angry to be scared. She easily jumped out of the way, then ran forward and jumped high, flipping over the monster's head and landing safely behind him. By the time the demon turned around, she was ready for him. "SIRIUS SCEPTER ILLUMINATE!" she shouted. A massive beam of white light energy shot of the scepter and went straight into his eyes. The demon screamed horribly with pain and frustration.

Knowing the demon was unable to see now, she quickly ran up to him and gave him a swift punch in the face. "That is for calling me sweetie!" she shouted. The creature began to stagger, his pain now increased by the punch. Sailor Sirius then went for the lower gut with a powerful kick, knocking the air out of him. "And that is for calling my dog a pooch!"

The demon was now on the ground, and Sailor Sirius looked coldly at the kneeling figure. She slowly raised her left hand pointed her palm at the demon, and yelled out, "SIRIUS INFRARED LASER, DISINTERGRATE!" Her body began to glow a red aura as she spun once, and out of her palm shot a thick massive red beam of laser energy. It struck the demon right in the middle of his chest with full force. Slowly, as if time itself was slowing down, the demon screamed. He began to disintegrate little by little from the top of its head, all the way down. When it was finish, nothing but a pile of black sand stood in his place.

"And that," Sailor Sirius said with a cold, little smile, "is for ruining my birthday!" She stared at the pile for a second, then turned and walked over to Marco, who was still laying on the ground unconscious not too far from her. "Oh Marco, I am so sorry..." she whispered, cradling his head on her lap. "I didn't want this to happen to you," A tear drop fell unknowingly from Sailor Sirius's eye, down her neck, then on to the necklace that was hidden inside the fuku shirt. The tear dropped on the large jewel and it suddenly began to ripple as a body of water. A green light suddenly began to envelope the two who sat on the ground. Sailor Sirius looked wildly around, not quite knowing what was going on. Magically, the wounds around the dog's side and paw began to shrink, and suddenly, disappeared. The bandages fell off of Marco and his eyes flew open.

"Marco!" Sailor Sirius yelled, feeling him move in her arms, "You're alright! What happened?" She stared at the golden furred canine with disbelieving eyes.

"Your bravery and courage gave the Emerald Star Stone strength, and when it felt your pain, it knew exactly what to do!" Marco said, winking at her. "Always knew you had in you kid!" Sailor Sirius laughed and gave Marco a gigantic hug, and he happily gave her a loving doggy kiss in return.

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Galactica Palace:

"SHIMATTA! DAMN THOSE SENSHI!" screamed out Sailor Galaxia angrily " She defeated Sailor Rage! No matter where I go, there has to be a sailor scout somewhere! How can there be a senshi so far away from Japan? In such a remote country?"

Sailor Iron Mouse winced at her mistress's outburst. "I do not know, your Highness. Queen Serenity must have scattered everyone's soul's all over Earth."

"We are going back to Japan...NOW!" screeched Sailor Galaxia. "The only way we can defeat these brats is if we nip them at the bud!"

"Yes, Most Exalted One!" Sailor Iron Mouse replied weakly. She bowed low and hurriedly left the presence of the Golden Queen. Alone once more, Galaxia narrowed her eyes, and they began to blaze a burning red.

"I WILL rule this Galaxy, just as I was meant to. I won't tolerate the senshi getting in my way! Beware, carriers of the true Star Seeds. Your end is near. BE PREPARED!" With that said, Galaxia threw her golden crowned head back and laughed loud and evilly, her voice echoing through the whole region.

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First Battle: Epilogue

Six months later:

"But DAAAD! I don't want to move again! I like it here in this neighborhood!" wailed Tanya, walking behind her father into the living room. He had earlier explained to her that he needed to discuss something important with her after dinner. Tanya very well knew what was to be discussed. For most of her life, Tanya had been moving from city to city in the ancient country of Libya, and it was only recently they had moved back to Tripoli, the capitol city of her birth. The dark-skinned girl barely had time to make any friends, and because of it, she grew up lonely and unhappy, wishing she could finally call somewhere home. Now it was happening again, and she could only feel hopelessness as she looked into the sad eyes of her father.

"Look, I know this may be hard on you but it will benefit us in the end. This new missionary job I got is an opportunity that I cannot refuse! Besides, I'm not sure I like living in a neighborhood and country where demons and such can run a muck." Peter Cambridge gave his daughter a pleading look as they both sat down on the couch. "Please try and understand?"

Tanya rolled her eyes upward, knowing he was going to win this one...again. "Oh, alright. Where are we moving to?"

"A place in Japan called the Juuban District." her father replied.

"Japan? What do you mean Japan?" Tanya asked, totally shocked. "How can you even think of going there? We don't know the language or anything!" Uncertainty and confusion shone in her dark hazel eyes.

"Calm down Tanya. Look, the High School there is an American-system based academy, and practically all the students will be speaking English, plus a few other languages. You'll finish the school year here, then transfer there when we leave. You'll fit right in, I promise. Just give it a chance, and I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time." Peter got up, walked over, and gave his daughter a small kiss on the forehead and a hug.

"Alright, if you say so." Tanya said, hugging her father back. She looked up in his face and gave him a teasing little smile, "But I won't promise that I'll like it!"

The taller man smiled, and gave a slight nod. "That's all I'm asking sweetheart. It'll be for the best, I promise," he whispered.

Tanya smiled back and continued to hug her father, content for the time being just to be safe in his strong and caring arms. She knew her father would protect her from anything harmful with his life, and for that, she was grateful.

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Juuban High School,

Juuban District,

Tokyo, Japan

Two weeks later:

The last bell of the day rang, signaling the end of another school day. Within seconds, the front door to Juuban High School was thrown open. Teenagers poured out into the school courtyard.

When the crowd finally thinned out after a few moments, a small solitaire figure slowly and quietly walked out, emotionally defeated by yet another day of loneliness and homesickness. As much as Tanya wanted to make friends and be accepted, her shyness and her lack of knowledge of the Japanese language and culture prevented it. She felt so out of place, so...different from everybody else. She knew they were all fascinated by her very dark skin color...she heard them whisper about it. But still, no one took the time to come up and talk to her. Many a day she came home to her father, crying her eyes out. Her father tried to comfort her and tell her to be strong, but it was hard...so very hard. Well, she didn't care anymore. Tanya just wanted to go home. She tried to stop the tears from misting in her eyes, but she was losing.

Suddenly from behind her, Tanya heard the sound of pounding feet on the ground. She turned to look behind her just in time to get knocked down in a whirlwind of blonde pigtails. "OWWW! Hey! Watch where you're going next time!" shouted Tanya on the floor, rubbing the sore arm she fell on. When she looked at the girl's face, she gasped. It was the same girl she had detention with yesterday for being late.

"Oh! Gomen nasai! Sorry about that! I didn't see you. I'm in a real hurry. I was supposed to met my friends somewhere, and I wanted to show them that I CAN be on time for once in my life. Here, let me help you up." The girl had a silly grin on her face and spoke very fast...almost too fast for Tanya to understand, as she was talking Japanese. She stretched out her hand and helped Tanya to her feet. "By the way, my name is Usagi. Tsukino Usagi."

"Thanks," said Tanya, brushing herself off and struggling to remember the Japanese language. "My..name is Tanya Cambridge. I...err...remember you from detention...yesterday." She gave Usagi a shy look as she smiled softly.

"Yep, that was me, as usual!" Usagi giggled, "Sorry I didn't introduce myself then, but I was in a very bad mood." She looked at Tanya in an interested and curious way. "You...you have a nice accent. It's so different from everyone else's. Is that how they talk where you come from?"

Usagi then gasped at what she just said without thinking, and blushed. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it! It's just...umm..."

"No, it's alright, really!" Tanya smiled as she waved her hand dismissively. By now she had gotten used to the few students who had taken the chance to talk to her, and they were just as fascinated by her accent as by her dark coloring. "As far as I know, yes, we do!" At that, Usagi relaxed and laughed softly, already liking this new transfer student.

Tanya couldn't help herself and chuckled along with the funny girl she just met. Somehow, the dark-skinned girl couldn't help but feel she knew Usagi in some way, like an old friend she hadn't seen in years. She looked into the blonde girl's eyes, and knew that she was thinking the same thing. Tanya was about to comment on that when suddenly two figures walked up to them, the sun shining brightly on them. Another blonde haired girl with a big red ribbon tied into it smiled and waved to Usagi.

"Hey Usagi! Look who decided to hang out with us today on his day off!" Stepping up beside her, the most handsome boy Tanya had ever seen in her life smiled and waved a hand in greeting.

Tanya began to blush fiercely as a strong and unfamiliar feeling coursed through her body. She had seen him around of course...always surrounded by adoring and screaming girls. As far as she knew, it had something to do with him being a singer, but she wasn't sure. He shared a class with her, and she had always watched him silently from the corner from her eye. But somehow, the same feeling filled her whenever she saw him. But she didn't delude herself into thinking he would even notice her. Why would he, with so many girls around him? He would never give her the time of day. But yet...what was it about him that made her feel this way every time she saw him?

Usagi never noticed her reaction though, and happily waved back to them. "Hi guys!" smiled the pig-tailed girl. She turned back to Tanya beside her. "Come on, I'll introduce you!" She grabbed Tanya's hand and half-dragged her to the two waiting students. When they met them half-way, Usagi began the introductions. "This is Minako Aino and Yaten Kou. Minako-chan, Yaten-kun, I'd like you to meet Tanya Cambridge."

Minako smiled warmly and shook Tanya's hand. "Oh right, the new student that came from Africa a few weeks ago. Nice to meet you."

The white haired boy with beautiful green eyes stepped up next to shake her hand. He winced slightly as he felt a jolt of power surge through him as he took her small hand in his. What's this? Yaten thought to himself. I feel the power of the stars within her! Can she be a holder of a pure Star Seed? Yaten stiffened a moment, drawing curious stares from the others. He looked at the girl before him, and when he saw her eyes widen for a moment, he knew she must have felt the tiny, barely noticeable jolt too. He quickly shook off the feeling from himself, and gave his trademark lop-sided smile. "Nice to meet you too. I believe we are in the same English class, but I never got a chance to talk to you." He bowed slightly and winked.

The smile he gave her nearly made Tanya faint from the weakness in her knees. Forgetting what she felt a moment before, she could only stare at Yaten for a few moments. Then composing herself quickly, she answered him. "Ummm...ahhhh...yeah!" Tanya groaned deep inside at her sudden inability to speak and began to blush fiercely once more.

Yaten raised his brow in amusement as Minako barely stiffled a giggle.

"Look, I don't mean to be rude or anything Tanya-chan, but we really have to go. I'll see you in school tomorrow?" interrupted Usagi, amusement shining in her eyes and evident in her voice as she noticed Tanya's reaction to Yaten.

"Yeah. School tomorrow. Bye!" said Tanya, still not believing how much of an idiot she sounded like. When the three left, Tanya groaned aloud and smacked her palm against her forehead, "Good going Tanya! Now he thinks you're a complete basket case!"

Tanya let out a long sigh as she leaned against the school fence, watching the trio walk away. "Still, this school isn't so bad now. I can actually like going here, for once," Another picture of Yaten Kou flashed in her mind, and Tanya could not help but smile. When she looked in his eyes, she felt as though a song...a message, somehow was in there. A message to a very important person. Butterflies always fluttered in Tanya's stomach whenever she was near or thought about him. The one thing that intrigued her the most about the young man was his eyes. Yes, that's what was so familiar to her when she first looked into his eyes! They were beautiful clear green that Tanya loved with all her heart. Her favorite color, green, which symbolized hope and a new beginning. At the thought of that, the girl's heart skipped a beat, and she wished she could look into Yaten's eyes again soon. Even though she hadn't known him long, she felt like she wanted to know him forever. Sure, she had crushes on cute guys before, lots of times! But somehow, this felt different to her, as though for some strange reason, she can imagine a future with him. There was just...something...about him that filled her with anticipation, and Tanya couldn't wait to see what it was.

-----------------------

Meanwhile, a look of concern spread across Yaten's face. If she is a holder of a strong Star Seed, then she had to be watched carefully. Yaten sighed softly to himself as he walked with Usagi and Minako, their chatter barely reaching his ears as a mental image of Tanya smiling entered his mind. The young man couldn't help the small, secret small that appeared on his lips. Most of the girls in his school in school always flaunted themselves for him, giving him love letters and trying to get a date with him, but this girl...this very shy and interesting girl...was different. She wasn't interested in autographs and getting things from him.

Somehow, he felt like he wanted to get to know her better. He remembered when he saw her when she came into the classroom for the first time, looking very small and out of place as the teacher introduced her. Yet even though she was very nervous as she said her name softly and said hello, he could tell that she had great confidence and strength in her. It showed in her eyes, and he knew then she was not one of the "typical" girls and fans he met so often in the school...the kind of girls that annoyed him so much. Another thing that struck him was her strange, yet melodious voice and accent. It was very different from the other students, and it made him think of warm, tropical weather and gentle breezes.

It was similar to the accents he'd heard from the people of the Middle East and Western Africa, based on the many school films on history he'd seen, but somehow, Tanya's accent and sweet voice was all so unique and...beautiful. Yaten also remembered he had openly stared at her for long moments when he first saw her, standing in front of the class and telling a little bit about herself. He blushed fiercely when she looked up and caught him looking at her. He had looked away quickly, but somehow, he knew that she saw him staring.

Yaten slowly placed his hands inside his pockets, smiling more as he thought about this strangely exotic girl from Northern Africa. "Maybe, someday I will get to know her," the young singer whispered to himself, "Maybe someday I will." Suddenly, he shook his pale head and narrowed his eyes as an image of his princess entered his mind. Well, it will have to wait, because he had a mission here. A mission to find someone very important. With that, he nodded slightly to himself and continued walking with Minako and Usagi.  
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Present time:

"So that's how I did, huh?" said Tanya after listening to Marco's story. She sighed softly and stared up at the ceiling, her thoughts still slightly concerned.

"Yes, you were fine," assured the golden dog, looking gently into Tanya's eyes. "Your friend Usagi was right. You have nothing to worry about. All you need to do is believe in yourself, and you'll be a fine addition to the Sailor Senshi Team, just as you were destined to be," To emphasis his words, Marco leaned over and softly licked Tanya's dark cheek, a dog's gesture of a kiss of affection.

The short dark-skinned girl giggled and pushed the dog away playfully. "I guess you're right. I'm just so scared I might mess up or something..." Tanya turned over to lay on her stomach, closing her eyes and folding her arms under her head. But before she could say anymore, sleep overtook her, and within a few seconds, she was asleep.

The guardian dog looked down on his sleeping charge for a few moments with affection, and reached over once more to give her another doggy kiss. "Don't worry Princess, you will be fine, I promise you," he whispered. Marco softly jumped off Tanya's bed. He layed down on the floor next to it and promptly fell asleep.


End file.
